Faking It
by Miss DiNozzo
Summary: "You're saying that this is the only way to remain inconspicuous?" My fiancée was fuming. It did really seemed like a good way to keep them from exposure, but there had to be some other way. It simply couldn't be a one solution problem. Perhaps we could…There wasn't a good finish to that sentence. The vision Alice had seen was clear, and it was either her idea or risking discovery.
1. Chapter 1

**CHAPTER ONE: The Plan**

"You're saying that this is the only way to remain inconspicuous?" My fiancée was fuming as he said this. Yes, it really seemed like a good way to keep them from exposure, but there had to be some other way. It simply couldn't be a one solution problem. Perhaps we could… There wasn't a good finish to that sentence. The vision Alice had seen was clear, and it was either her idea or risking discovery.

"Yes," Alice nodded confidently. "You know how important it is to keep our secret hidden, and if none of us are affected by this, then people will begin to wonder what is wrong with us. We already have too much in common for 'adopted' siblings, so suck it up." She was very excited as she finished her rant, and I could easily tell that she was pleased to have an excuse to buy new makeup.

"Alice! You can't just expect me to —" Edward tried to argue but she stopped him in his tracks.

"This is not up for discussion! It isn't only about you and what you want. It is about what is best for all of us and what will keep us and our secret safe. And right now, this is what will do that, so you _will _be following through on this plan," Alice continued without missing a beat. Edward was cornered, and would have to give in.

Alice saw his decision before I knew how the jury inside of his head was going to rule. She bounced up out of her chair and kissed his cheek before skipping off to join Emmet and Jasper in the woods. Edward sighed as his sister skipped away at an incomprehensible speed and then stood up out of his chair. He held his hand out to me and I took it graciously. As we walked up to his bedroom, Edward leaned down to kiss the top of my forehead before reminding me of the time.

It was already an hour past midnight. I couldn't remember how long they had argued downstairs. It hadn't seemed like very long, but, it had apparently been very time consuming. I must have lost track of time after the clock had been broken by an outburst. Edward led me into his bedroom and carefully put me on the bed. He then climbed next to me and we cuddled until I fell asleep.

Tonight, my dreams were blissful and my mind was at rest. It might have had something to do with the fact that Edward was holding me right next to his chest. I smiled in my sleep before realizing that if Edward did this, that I would have to be without him for a while; Much longer than I could likely bear. I shuddered at the thought and jolted awake.

Edward was alert now, focused on my face. His honey colored eyes looked down at me with concern. I wanted so much to reassure him, but I was lost in the pure gold of his eyes, as if I were living in my own personal heaven. I was relishing in the last few moments I would have of the paradise. Edward's velvety voice broke me from my reveries.

"Bella?" He ventured cautiously. "Are you alright?" He was propped up on his elbow so he could have a better look at me. He brushed a stray tear from my cheek. I was unaware that I was crying, but I was still worried about being away from Edward for so long. I couldn't find the words to respond so I just shook my head.

"Shhh, Bella, it's ok," He tried to comfort me. My figure was now shaking with sobs. This really wasn't that big a deal, it would only be for a few days, but ever since Edward and his family had left me all those months ago, any time away from him made me uneasy. After a few minutes of comforting from Edward, I was finally able to speak.

"I'm sorry…" My voice was shaky even though I had stopped crying. I didn't like Edward seeing me like this, as I knew it caused him pain to see me so upset.

"For what, love?" My angel questioned.

"For letting you see me like this and putting you through it. I'm just worried about you." I was almost sobbing again, and I knew that this was one of the most selfish things I could have done.

"You don't need to apologize for that. I understand. But you don't need to worry either. This is very small scale compared to some of the previous nonsense about exposure. We decided to go easy on it as the last production we had was carried out in Seattle, and we wouldn't want anyone seeing a connection," He assured me. I half smiled when he pulled me tighter to his body. We stayed like that for a long time, and it was where I stayed until I once again lost consciousness and entered the beautiful realm of sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX

The next morning I woke well rested and ready to face the day. Or at least I thought I had been. The scene I was met with when Edward and I arrived downstairs was anything but ordinary. Edward seemed annoyed, but we continued to the kitchen without a word.

Edward poured me a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice before taking them to the dining room. He set them down at the head of the table, so I figured he wanted me to sit there. Just as I was about to take a seat, there was a flash of movement. Alice had come in and brought the set with her.

Before my eyes were a plethora of objects. There were four whiteboards on stands, each marked with a different phase from one to four. The phases were "Preparation," "First Signs," "Out," and "Back." Oh brother. We were planning. As if thinking about it wasn't torture enough, now I was going to help put the whole scheme together!


	2. Chapter 2

_Previously:_

_Edward poured me a bowl of cereal and a glass of orange juice before taking them to the dining room. He set them down at the head of the table, so I figured he wanted me to sit there. Just as I was about to take a seat, there was a flash of movement. Alice had come in and brought the set with her._

_ Before my eyes were a plethora of objects. There were four whiteboards on stands, each marked with a different phase from one to four. The phases were "Preparation," "First Signs," "Out," and "Back." Oh brother. We were planning. As if thinking about it wasn't torture enough, now I was going to help put the whole scheme together!_

**CHAPTER TWO: Planning**

Alice bounced excitedly to where Edward and I were sitting. She pulled out a pen and a whiteboard marker. She had the same display made out in her notebook. I frowned. Was this really that important that we needed to plan it? Well, it probably was, but did _I_ really have to be there?

"Phase one," Alice spoke cheerfully. "Preparation. This phase is about what we need to pull this off." She smiled at Edward before continuing my torture. "Bella, we will need bronzer to put on you to make you look like you are tan so we can pull off the whole 'pale' concept. It would be pretty hard to make Edward any paler," She continued her rant and looked back towards Edward. "Then we will need dark purple eye shadow to put dark bags under your eyes. Ooh! We could also use a little bit of red blush to add effect. Those things are just so you can look your part.

"Now, these items are for your environment. We need to get green tinted oil and a lot of tissues. We'll also need a bottle of medicine to put on your bedside table." Alice finished her speech with a beautifully drawn sketch of the most hideous thing I had ever seen. My Edward, _sick._ There had been a recent flu outbreak in Forks, and everyone had gotten it. Even Charlie had become slightly under the weather. Alice was right, though. If no one in their family became ill, it would seem suspicious. Alice smiled as she wrote down everything on the whiteboard and moved to the one titled phase two. She bounced happily as she began to list potential symptoms to us.

"We'll start with tiredness. When people are sick they have less energy than they usually do, so it's the perfect way to start. I'm sure you could also fake a headache pretty well. Hold your head in your hands a lot and tense at loud noises," Alice rambled. Why did it have to be Edward? She seemed to be so excited about it, so why couldn't _she _do it? In that moment I decided to bring it up. I opened my mouth to say something, but Alice beat me to the punch.

"We," She continued, referring to her other siblings and me, "could 'eat' more food than usual and you could simply sit there and eat nothing. That would demonstrate loss of appetite. And seem less happy. You always perk up around Bella and laugh with us at lunch at the absurd thoughts of our classmates. Act kind of dead, like you have to force it when you smile."

The whiteboard was at this point covered completely in her ideas. I took the short moment of silence to clear my throat, drawing their attention to me.

"Alice, you look like you'd enjoy doing this. Edward and I are both unhappy that he is doing this and I think to make everyone happy, you should do it." Not a second after the words left my mouth I regretted them. Alice bounded over to me and got close to my face before speaking.

"_I _am not doing this because I did it last time. It is Edward's turn in the rotation. He should be thanking his lucky stars that he has you or we probably would have faked his death. It was no fun for me when I was up because I had to fall off of a cliff and swim away. That way, everyone thought I was dead at sea because they found no remains. I had to be in hiding in Africa for six months before they finally moved. You have NO idea what that amount of time without running water does to your hair. Edward was the one to plan that little fiasco, so I'm simply happy to return the favor," Alice's voice was menacing, and it had a malicious edge to it. She smiled devilishly at Edward before returning to her whiteboards.

I smiled sheepishly at Edward who looked a little guilty. He must have felt bad for the half a dozen months Alice had been stuck in Africa, but if he really felt remorseful, he didn't show it. The torture continued.

After about half an hour of arguing over the time frame Edward would be "Out," it was determined that he would be gone from Wednesday to the Monday of the next week. That meant he only had two days in school; only two days to be with me. During this "Out" time, he would lie low and stay in the house. He could read and play his piano, and he could also watch television, but anything recreational was restricted in case we had an unexpected visitor. I frowned as we moved on to the board titled "Back." It didn't seem fair that Edward had to do all of this.

The plans for Edward's return were confirmed before we all went upstairs. Alice retrieved all of her siblings for the bronzer. I, of course was included, as I spent a lot of time with Edward, and if we were both pale it wouldn't have the desired effect. Alice gathered us together and put the bronzer in the spray bottle. She coated us from head to toe in it before setting a timer.

When it went off, we were all allowed to shower. The bronzer had done its job. We all had very slightly darker skin tones, and Edward seemed to be very pale. I sighed as I redressed. Tomorrow was Monday, the beginning of the end.


	3. Chapter 3

_Previously:_

_The plans for Edward's return were confirmed before we all went upstairs. Alice retrieved all of her siblings for the bronzer. I, of course was included, as I spent a lot of time with Edward, and if we were both pale it wouldn't have the desired effect. Alice gathered us together and put the bronzer in the spray bottle. She coated us from head to toe in the bronzer before setting a timer._

_ When it went off, we were all allowed to shower. The bronzer had done its job. We all had very slightly darker skin tones, and Edward seemed to be very pale. I sighed as I redressed. Tomorrow was Monday, the beginning of the end._

**Chapter 3: Monday**

Edward had not come to my room last night. He explained when he came to pick me up for school that he had been busy all night with Alice preparing the ruse. He had spent two hours with Alice in the supermarket getting everything from motor oil to food coloring. He apologized profusely that he had not come, but I told him it was alright. Though I knew it was not his fault, I was still slightly miffed that he hadn't even sent me a warning text.

I didn't stay mad at him long. In fact, I wasn't really that mad. I was just uneasy. When we pulled into the school parking lot, I realized that I wasn't the only one feeling anxious. Edward was taking deep breaths in an effort to calm himself. He didn't have to do anything today but appear pale. And for that, nothing was required on his part. He noticed my heartbeat picking up and smiled at me reassuringly before getting out of the cart to open my door.

I didn't like this at all. He was always on edge anyways, and he didn't need another thing to worry about. Between me and this "exposure procedure" as Alice had termed it, I was surprised he hadn't lost his mind. He was very collected as he got to my door. He didn't seem nervous at all. It was all a part of the show, I guess. If I knew my Edward, he was having a panic attack on the inside.

We went to English and no one said a word about his paleness or my and his siblings' sudden color. Alice really had done a good job, and it was barely noticeable that I had been spray tanned. If I had done it myself, I imagined by the time I was finished I would have been a potent shade of orange. I giggled softly at the thought, causing Edward to look at me questioningly. I blushed a deep shade of red. Stupid vampire hearing.

The day passed uneventfully. At the end of last hour, Edward was waiting for me outside the gym. He smiled my crooked smile, but his eyes didn't seem to be in it.

"What's wrong?" I asked him, knowing I wouldn't get a straight answer.

"Nothing, Bella, I'm just playing the part," He said nonchalantly. He seemed distant, but I knew that was his goal. Why he wasn't an actor was always beyond my comprehension. He put his arm around my shoulder as we walked in silence back to his Volvo and opened my door for me when we arrived. I crawled in and sat down. He was in the car in a flash, giving me only seconds to gather my thoughts.

"How was your day?" Edward asked when we were just out of the parking lot. I looked at him anxiously before answering his question. He stared back at me with his beautiful eyes, and that alone gave me enough reassurance to continue. I loved him, and I shouldn't be so on edge, but I was worried about him and the next couple of days. How would I survive without him?

"Fine," I answered coolly, looking out the window as I spoke. He could easily see through my façade, and followed my gaze.

It had been raining all day, and right now was no different. The trees shook from the wind of the storm, and the rain pelted the top of the car. I hated the wetness that came from the rain, but it really was one of the most beautiful things from nature that I had ever seen.

Edward was still very curious, and he obviously doubted my response, but he didn't press any further questions. We rode in silence until he pulled up in front of my house.

"Don't worry about me, love," He said and I started to blush. How did he always know what I was thinking? Even though he couldn't read my mind, he was generally rather spot on. I had been worrying about him. This whole plan was outrageous, and I was hesitant about it. I didn't want him to be away from me or bored, and I especially didn't want him to be anywhere near Alice when she was in a mood like this. He sensed my discomfort and leaned over to kiss me. I looked him in the eyes when he pulled away, desperate for more.

When I was sure that I wouldn't be receiving what I craved, I sighed and sat back in my chair. It was going to be really rough leaving him. I half smiled at him before saying goodbye and getting out of the car. God, I loved him. I missed him already, and he was still in my driveway. It was going to be a hard week.

I pulled out the keys to my house and unlocked it. I went in and closed the door, but I hurried to the window. I made it just in time to see my beloved vampire boyfriend drive away in his silver Volvo. I cringed in realization.

Edward wouldn't pick me up from school on Wednesday, and he wouldn't take me home, either. The same would follow for Thursday and Friday. He wouldn't come to my bedroom at night. I couldn't stay there. Visiting hours would be limited to the minimal time I had after school. I sighed for what must have been the hundredth time today and pulled out my mountain of homework. Ugh, math. I began the tedious process of doing my homework. I had to keep my mind off of the impending doom of being without Edward.

I continued my distractions by cooking Charlie dinner. I tried to make it an elaborate meal, looking through old recipe books from my childhood. We had so many old memories in the kitchen, my grandmother and I, whipping up a storm of frozen salad, fried rice, muffins, and all sorts of other things. When we cooked, everyone always agreed that it was delicious. I know now that it might have just been flattery to make me happy, but Charlie still seemed to think I was a good cook, so I must have learned something in all of that time.

It was about seven when dinner was finally ready; Spaghetti and meatballs. I had decided on something easy, but I made this all the time. I had to eventually stop reading the recipe books because it was making me cry. I missed my grandmother dearly… _Just like I miss Edward._

UGH! My attempts at distraction were failing. I needed to see him and hear his voice, even just hear his name. It had only been three hours since he left and I was already in hysterics. I was going to have to put my big girl act on if I was going to make it through the next few days.


	4. Chapter 4

_Previously:_

_It was about seven when dinner was finally ready; Spaghetti and meatballs. I had decided on something easy, but I made this all the time. I had to eventually stop reading the recipe books because it was making me cry. I missed my grandmother dearly… Just like I miss Edward._

_UGH! My attempts at distraction were failing. I needed to see him and hear his voice, even just hear his name. It had only been three hours since he left and I was already in hysterics. I was going to have to put my big girl act on if I was going to make it through the next few days._

**Chapter 4: Torturous Tuesday**

Today was going to be terrible. It was raining outside when I woke up and the sky was the gloomiest gray I had ever seen. Maybe it was just my imagination, but it seemed like the worst weather that had ever come to the tiny town where I live. When I regained consciousness from my slumber, I had been wrapped in Edward's arms, but now he had left, and I was all alone with my thoughts.

I brushed my hair and thought about Edward. I took a shower and thought about Edward. I tied my shoes and thought about Edward. Stupid, stupid, flu epidemic! If you hadn't come along, everything would be normal, and by normal I mean ABSOLUTELY PERFECT. Because of the pathetic illness, I would be without Edward all week and into the weekend. I frowned as I poured my cereal.

My world lit up a few minutes after I had finished eating. The car that held what I so desperately loved had pulled into my driveway. I snatched my things from their place by the door and ran out to his car. I internally sighed as I leapt into the Volvo. This was the last day of the week Edward would pick me up from school. I felt abandoned already, and he was still here! I was being so absurd. I deduced that I needed to enjoy the time I had left with Edward by savoring it.

He smiled my favorite crooked smile before pulling out of the drive and onto the street. We rode in silence, once again, and I began to worry. How would the other students react? Stupid question; they're all too afraid of him to do anything, even if he is in a vulnerable state. What about how _I _will react? I have this protective instinct about him, and I know he can take care of himself, but I still worry every time that he is upset or distant.

I felt a pang of nausea hit me as we pulled into the parking lot at Forks High School. I didn't want to do this, and I wasn't doing a thing. I frowned slightly and got out of the beloved Volvo. This was surely going to be hell.

**EPOV**

Bella was fidgeting as we sat in English together. I tried to comfort her shaking frame, but I was unable to keep her focused and still. Every time I drooped my eyelids, she looked at me with pleading eyes, as if she were begging me not to do it. But I had to. I owed it to my family to keep us from discovery. I rubbed my temples as if to alleviate a headache. I really did have a hideous throbbing in my head, however. All of this plotting was putting me on edge. Bella caught my attempt at subtle "First Signs" and sighed. She was just as nervous about this scheme as I was.

How could I leave her for four days? It seemed impossible. Alice was just angry that I had "killed" her and shipped her off to Africa. Granted, that wasn't one of the nicest things I could've done, but her idea of payback was just crazy. It would not only affect Bella and I, but Jasper as well. He would be a mess with all of the emotions that I'd have flying around. She should have thought of that before she sentenced me to this torture. I grinned.

Bella noticed my grinning and looked at me with a confused expression. I waved it off and whispered that I would tell her later. She smiled in approval and returned her attention to the teacher's lecture. I was going to miss her so much the rest of this week. Maybe I could…

I was broken from my reverie by thoughts that I knew well. Alice. _NO! _She hissed at me. _You cannot risk our family like that. I don't want to see any more visions of you running away with Bella for the week. You know how important this is, and you need to act accordingly._ I cringed at the mental scolding. Alice could be so annoying and overbearing. I'd have to figure out some other way. But it would be impossible to fool Alice. Things were looking pretty grim.

English ended uneventfully. The rest of the morning passed quickly, too. I couldn't help but smile when I saw the worry etched on Bella's face in her classmates' thoughts. I wasn't being sadistic; it was just nice to know how much she cared. I knew how much this was going to hurt her, and I hated the thought. She would feel like I had left her again. I was a traitor.

Leaving her was the biggest mistake of my existence, and that is saying a lot considering that I was at one point a murderer. I am nothing but a monster for what I put her through, and when I see her images from the time when I left in the minds of her friends and father, I am only reminded of that fact. I only left to keep her safe, but in turn, it had the opposite effect. I shuddered at the memory of my Bella jumping off of a cliff. _I was just cliff diving…_

My reverie was broken when the bell rang. It was time for lunch. I frowned, thinking about how I would look next to all of my siblings: colorless and dead. Frowning again, I made my way to the cafeteria. The daily joking atmosphere in the cafeteria was gone now. It was as if they were all in the same mood as I was… and then it hit me. I realized why the students were so melancholy now.

Jasper. He could feel my frustration and discontent and was subconsciously radiating it to the entire cafeteria. I closed my eyes and desperately tried to regain control of my emotions. I shot Jasper a pained look and immediately I was calmed. He must have felt the relief coming off of me and smiled reassuringly. I sauntered over to the lunch table, trying my best to seem sluggish. This was almost as bad as actually being sick.

The mood in the cafeteria lightened. Mine, however, was not influenced by Jasper's calming waves. I only began to lighten up when my angel walked right through the cafeteria doors, smiling at me the entire way. She retrieved her food and sat down. Eying me cautiously, she began to eat her food. She was probably trying to make notice to the fact that I did not have a lunch tray. She was playing a part, too. I sighed. Lunch ended swiftly and sent me back to the torturous tedium that was going to be the rest of my week. I smiled weakly at Bella and walked aways.


	5. Chapter 5

_Previously:_

_Jasper. He could feel my frustration and discontent and was subconsciously radiating it to the entire cafeteria. I closed my eyes and desperately tried to regain control of my emotions. I shot Jasper a pained look and immediately I was calmed. He must have felt the relief coming off of me and smiled reassuringly. I sauntered over to the lunch table, trying my best to seem sluggish. This was almost as bad as actually being sick._

_ The mood in the cafeteria lightened. Mine, however, was not influenced by Jasper's calming waves. I only began to lighten up when my angel walked right through the cafeteria doors, smiling at me the entire way. She retrieved her food and sat down. Eying me cautiously, she began to eat her food. She was probably trying to make notice to the fact that I did not have a lunch tray. She was playing a part, too. I sighed. Lunch ended swiftly and sent me back to the torturous tedium that was going to be the rest of my week. I smiled weakly at Bella and walked away._

_**JUST A NOTE: PLEASE USE GOOGLE TO TRANSLATE THE SPANISH SCENE. I WANTED TO KEEP IT AS AUTHENTIC AS POSSIBLE. SORRY FOR THE INCONVIENENCE.**_

**Chapter 5: Overdoing It**

**EPOV**

Spanish, Spanish, Spanish. Mrs. Goff was running through some lecture about the importance of word endings. BORING; especially because I'd heard this lecture about 30 times more than my classmates. I started drumming my hands on the desk very quietly, determined not to listen. Remembering with a jolt (also known as Emmet's thoughts) that I had a headache, I stopped immediately. Clutching my hands to my head, I tried again to not hear the voice of the teacher.

Blah, blah, rambling teacher, blah… Will this class ever end? Inspiration hit me as I looked out the window towards the gym. _I'll watch Bella! _I tuned in carefully to Mike Newton's thoughts. He was in the gym playing soccer.

_I bet I can score a goal on you, Swan! _Mike was shouting with arrogance. He makes me sick (no pun intended). I saw Bella smile nervously just in time to have a ball hit her in the face. I scowled out the window.

_MIKE! I wasn't ready! _Bella was so mad. She looked cute when she was angry. I smiled at the thought. My smile widened when Bella proceeded to pick up the ball and throw it at Mike's head. By the time Newton had picked himself up off the floor and walked unsteadily to sit by the wall, I was grinning like a fool.

_Dude! Cut it out! You can't seem so happy when you're coming down with the flu! Use common sense! Do you even care about our family? Their fate depends on your actions. Have some humanity! _Emmet's thoughts were absolutely infuriating. Only he would make try to make a joke about humanity when he was trying to chastise me. My smile was long gone; it had faded and disappeared at the beginning of his rant. His irritating "get back in line, Eddie" thoughts had gone on long enough.

I shot a death glare at my brother before completely going nuts. I threw my head down on the desk in an attempt to contain my temper and began to shake in anger. He was so irritating! Why couldn't he just shut up and leave me be? Many unkind slams came to mind, like '_Shut up, you big idiot!' _or _'Your mouth is so big—' _

"Edward?" Mrs. Goff's voice didn't register at first. What had I done to draw attention to myself? Oh yeah, I was a trembling mess with my head plastered to the desk. This was going to be interesting.

"Si?" I was unable to keep the uneasiness out of my voice.

"Estás bien?" She asked in concern.

"Migraña." This seemed like a suitable explanation to me. When humans have migraines their heads hurt and, well, mine was lying on the desk.

"Bueno, si usted tiene una migraña, usted debe ir a ver a la enfermera." Oh no. I couldn't go see the nurse! What would I do if she took my pulse? I DON'T HAVE A HEARTBEAT! My breathing accelerated as I processed all that could happen in a nurse's office. What would happen if there were blood samples in the room? I would be ice cold, so the thermometer would malfunction and…

Mrs. Goff broke off my reverie by calling the nurse. I saw my face in her thoughts and realized I had been staring impassively at her in a 'No-way-in-hell-am-I-doing-that' manner. She must have called the nurse so I would be forced to go. Emmet was cursing loudly in his thoughts. I didn't even know profanity like that existed! Mrs. Goff hung up the phone and turned towards me.

Motioning for me to leave the classroom, she gave me a no nonsense look. I piled up my books with a sigh and sulked out into the fresh air that was accompanied by the steady drops of sweet rain. I stopped and put my books in my locker before heading to see the nurse. My sibling's thoughts surrounded me as I made the trip to the main office.

_See you on the other side, bro!_

_ ARE YOU A COMPLETE IDIOT?_

_ Edward, I tried to warn you…_

_ Wow Edward….nice._

I frowned at these but erased the downward smile before entering the building. If I was going to talk the nurse out of doing an exam, then I would have to look convincingly well. Taking a deep breath I opened the door and stepped in.

"Ms. Cope?" I inquired politely.

"Yes, Edward?" She responded, batting her eyelashes.

"I'm here to see the nurse, and—"

"Oh! They said there was a Cullen coming down, but Mrs. Goff didn't say which one. Well, I'll tell Mrs. Hammond you're here," She interjected. I had to get through to her.

"Actually, I won't be needing her services." I eyed her cautiously for a moment, looking for any doubt. Instead, I only saw confusion.

"And why is that?"

"Because my Spanish teacher was overreacting. It's only a headache." I tried for cool and smooth, but my tone came out worried and unsure.

"I don't know about that, Honey." _Honey… _I shuddered before she continued. "If your teacher thinks you need to see Mrs. Hammond, then you need to see Mrs. Hammond. Besides, you do look a little off, today." She wrapped up her speech by opening the door to the nurse's office and sending me inside. What was going to happen in here? The future seemed uncertain.

I took a tentative step inside and breathed a sigh of relief. There was no blood. My relief was short lived, however. There were still many uncertain things that could go wrong. I have no idea what I'm going to do if she gets out her stethoscope. We'll be exposed for sure. I took a deep breath before finding a seat in the middle of the room on the examination table. When Mrs. Hammond entered the room a minute later, I had somewhat calmed down.

"So what brings you here, Edward?" Mrs. Hammond asked distantly. _Mrs. Goff. My psychotic sister. Revenge._ I smothered my urge to make a snide comment and answered.

"Just a headache. Mrs. Goff misunderstood what I was saying," I replied, this time my tone not giving me away. She eyed me suspiciously.

"Hmm…Well I'd better take your temperature. Just in case." Oh crap! I'll be ultra cold when she does and it won't, to say the least, be good. I gaped at her for a moment before coming back to planet Earth. This was not happening. I couldn't expose my family like this. But that was when my last chance crept into my mind. If all else fails, play the Carlisle card.

"Mrs. Hammond, in all honesty, it is the end of the day. There are twenty minutes left of school. There's not much you can do now. I'll just have Carlisle look me over." There. That should work.

"Well, I guess that's alright, but I'd at least like to orally examine you. Did you hit your head on anything?" Thank God she wasn't pursuing the physical examination.

"No."

"Have you felt nauseous at all in the past twenty four hours?" Reminding myself that I was playing a part, I proceeded.

"Mildly, but it's nothing. Esme had a bad piece of meat for dinner the other night." That was a smooth lie, right? I was wasting time she could be examining me, so it didn't really matter either way.

"Is you throat raw?"

"Ummm….. A little." We continued our oral examination in this way until the bell rang, signaling the end of our conversation. I bolted up and left. After a quick explanation to my siblings, I ran to the gym in search of Bella.


	6. Chapter 6

_Previously:_

"_Mildly, but it's nothing. Esme had a bad piece of meat for dinner the other night." That was a smooth lie, right? I was wasting time she could be examining me, so it didn't really matter either way._

_ "Is you throat raw?"_

_ "Ummm….. A little." We continued our oral examination in this way until the bell rang, signaling the end of our conversation. I bolted up and left. After a quick explanation to my siblings, I ran to the gym in search of Bella._

So, guys, this is a filler chapter. Sorry it kind of sucks, but we had to put it in somewhere to get the story going. Sorry!

**Chapter 6: The Call**

**Alice POV**

Ugh… Edward is so stupid! How could he honestly fake his 'illness' to such an extent that he would get sent to the nurse's office? If you ask me it's more of a mental illness than a physical one. He could have exposed us all! Is there anything going on in that dusty old brain of his? Likely not. I snickered. Edward shot me an angry look before settling back into the couch with his book. Of course he would choose now to be a poor sport. I guess he's just playing his part, but he usually would have made a snarky comment by now. He's probably just sulking about Bella again.

I smiled devilishly at him before making my way to the kitchen. I was still grinning like a fool when I entered the kitchen. Esme was at the counter poring over a recipe book to make things for Bella. I skipped over and took a seat next to my for-all-intents-and-purposes mother. I didn't have a chance to say hello before the phone started ringing.

"I've got it," Esme called down the hallway, though everyone could have heard her even if she had whispered. She picked up the phone and greeted the caller with a brief hello. I was able to hear that the person on the other line was a woman. I got chills as the familiar voice came through the receiver. It was Mrs. Hammond.

"I'm calling to tell you that your son Edward came to see me today and to ensure that he indeed did have Dr. Cullen look him over." Mrs. Hammond came through loud and clear.

"He didn't mention it to me, but I'm sure he had Carlisle do an exam." Esme sounded cool and confident.

"Then you probably already know."

"I'm afraid I just found out my son went to see you. I don't know a thing about his examination with my husband," Now Esme was getting irritated with the woman. "So if you would tell me what you needed to, we can continue our evening. We were just sitting down to dinner."

"Well…" Mrs. Hammond was nervous about something. Her voice sent me spiraling into a vision. Her decision was made.

"No." I could barely eek the word out. Edward had obviously read my mind and seen what was going to happen. He repeated my single word as if it were an expletive, the agony in his tone obvious.

"Edward is showing signs of a rare and life threatening illness—Lipothermidia to be exact. Victims usually tend to be exhausted, and your son could barely keep his eyes open during Spanish, according to Mrs. Goff. He also seemed pale and was experiencing loss of appetite, which are two more symptoms of the disease. Edward also mentioned experiencing a sore throat and nausea, as well as a migraine he tried to pass off as a headache. He is displaying all the symptoms a patient might. I can make a near positive diagnosis." Mrs. Hammond finished her spiel with a sigh.

"Well, Mrs. Hammond, I'm sure Carlisle would have told me if our son had Lipothermidia."

"I'm sure he would, but maybe Edward didn't go see him as he said he would," Mrs. Hammond argued. "I've elected to come and stay with Edward until the illness passes. He needs someone with him at all times— Someone who is medically trained and prepared to deal with anything."

"Carlisle is a doctor, remember?" Esme failed to contain the sarcasm in her voice.

"He has patients that he needs to look after. I'll take care of Edward. You don't worry about a thing. I'll be over tomorrow morning." And with that, she hung up.


	7. Chapter 7

_Previously:_

"_Well, Mrs. Hammond, I'm sure Carlisle would have told me if our son had Lipothermidia."_

_ "I'm sure he would, but maybe Edward didn't go see him as he said he would," Mrs. Hammond argued. "I've elected to come and stay with Edward until the illness passes. He needs someone with him at all times— someone who is medically trained and prepared to deal with anything."_

_ "Carlisle is a doctor, remember?" Esme failed to contain the sarcasm in her voice._

_ "He has patients that he needs to look after. I'll take care of Edward. You don't worry about a thing. I'll be over tomorrow morning."_

**Chapter 7: Final Preparation**

**EPOV**

Wednesday had arrived. It was my first day without Bella, and her first day without me. I frowned. This was going to be hard. She'd probably come see me after school, but that was so long without her, and there were so many hours that we would miss being able to spend together. I hated being sick, even if it was just an immortality cover-up.

I sighed, remembering the appointment Alice had set up to get me "ready" for Mrs. Hammond's arrival. I frowned and walked up the stairs. It was just past midnight and I was sure we wouldn't be out until five at the earliest. She smiled devilishly as I walked unwillingly into the salon. She outright laughed when she saw the horror on my face at the surroundings. Every surface was cluttered with some kind of make up or device. I stared in shocked horror before I came to my senses.

"Alice!" My voice was barely above a whisper. Trying my best to remain calm, I continued. "What on Earth is all of this?"

Her demon like demeanor changed instantly to one of innocence. She pouted out her lower lip and looked up at me with big eyes. Of course, she decides _now _is the time to play that card. "I just thought you would like it if this was realistic…" She said in a quivering voice.

She began to fake the tearless sobs that only a vampire knows, and, without any chance of winning this one, I gave in. She smiled wide like a kid in a candy store. She started rushing around the room, grabbing this and that. She pushed me down into the salon chair on one of her passes by and I sank down in irritation. All we were supposed to do was redden my nose and put dark circles under my eyes. She darted out of the room. What did she have planned for me that I didn't know about?

Sighing, I pinched the bridge of my nose, attempting to ward off a coming headache. Alice arrived seconds later with a fold up table in her arms and set it down in front of me. In about a minute, countless products and labels I didn't recognize materialized on the table. There was mousse, hair spray, and a conglomeration of other things, but the scariest of them all was what looked to be the contents of Alice's entire makeup bag. She grinned at me.

I looked on with horror. THIS was what we were doing?! To be honest, I was outraged. She took a step towards the table and snatched the mousse. This was going to be torture. She looked at me with a confused and devious expression on her face before beginning her _process._

Alice leaned the chair back so it rested against the sink behind me and began to wash my hair. I was going to protest, but she saw my decision and held me down. For a pixie midget, she was really strong. She knew it, too. Her ego always soared when she was able to demonstrate her immense strength. I'd take her down a few notches one day. I grinned in anticipation.

Alice finished washing my hair and toweled it dry. When it was nearly dry, she removed the towel and sat my chair up. She turned my chair around so I wasn't able to see what she was doing. She was obviously too excited to remember I could read minds. I gasped in shock at her plan and swatted her hand away from my hair.

"Don't touch it!" I roared at her.

She seemed surprised and confused at first, but then realization flooded her face and she tentatively smiled. "It's for the better, Edward."

I looked at her with annoyance and she gave. "Fine! We'll do it your way! I'll just put in the hairspray now so you look just like this all day!" I saw my current appearance in her head and tried in vain to stop her. It was too late. She had used the entire can of hairspray before I could say a word. She smiled evilly at me and turned my chair so I could see my reflection.

What I saw scared me half to death. It was worse than in her thoughts. My reflection had hair sticking out on all sides of my head. My once shiny hair now looked greasy and stiff from the starch of the hairspray. I shook my head in agony as if it would shake out and go back to normal. I wished I had just let Alice do as she had pleased. My hair might not have been so bad if I had.

She saw my disbelieving expression. "I'll cut you a deal, Eddie boy. You let me do my work without complaint and I'll fix your hair. But if you don't, I will leave it like that and turn your face into something only a _human_ mother could love." I shuddered at the thought. Pictures of clowns from horror movies and creepy hunchbacks and monsters filled my mind. She was giving me no choice.

"Fine… I'll let you do your work."

She smiled triumphantly and continued. After freeing my hair from its ratted mess, she styled it into the bed-head look. It really wasn't that bad. It looked much, much worse in her vision. She must have toned it down to accommodate me. It was just messy. She proceeded to pick up her makeup bag and pull out a few items. Blush, eye shadow, and lipstick were among her selections.

Alice opened the blush first. It looked very pink in this lighting. When she applied it to my nose, however, it was a deep shade of almost red. She then pulled out the eye shadow and created dark circles under my eyes with her fingers. When she pulled away to allow me to see, I literally jumped out of my seat at the sight. It was me, just how I looked when I was dying of the Spanish Influenza.

I hadn't realized how this plot would affect me. I was only thinking about Bella and the bad memories it would bring to her mind. I hadn't even considered the distant human memories that this would drudge up for me. I realized as Alice gripped the countertop that I had been digging my hands into it and was shaking. This was already painful. The pain from the illness, it was all back. The emotional distress as my mother and father died, the worried looks on the doctors' faces when they looked at me, Carlisle's pleading expression, the burning that accompanied the change… my memories reared their ugly heads.

My face was ashen. I wanted to scream and run, but my body was bolted to the chair. I wanted to stop all of this, but I was already in too deep. I wanted to run away and hide, but I didn't have any place to go. I wanted to forget everything, but that didn't seem like it was even an option. _Damn you, perfect recall!_

I was broken from my reverie when there was suddenly a hand on my shoulder, holding me still. A voice shouted to me to snap out of it, but I couldn't. I was rooted to the ground, shocked into a motionless silence, and damned to an eternity of regret. Why did I survive? Why did my parents die? Why did I get changed? Why…. Why… Why…. Why… Why…. Because Bella was waiting for me.

When Alice finally calmed me down, I was able to look her in the eyes. She was internally chastising herself and apologizing profusely.

"It's alright," I whispered, looking away. I just couldn't look in a mirror. No mirrors. I'd likely have a panic attack again later and demand they all be removed. Alice smiled as my body relaxed and she led me down the hallway to a closet. She quickly selected clothing and tossed it to me. She had thrown me a snug-fitting black tee and a pair of dark gray flannel pajama bottoms. She had added a thin gray robe to complete it. I smiled as I slid myself into the comfortable clothing.

Alice was disciplining herself downstairs for Carlisle and Esme. She really did care. I finished dressing myself before heading downstairs to join my family.

When the others saw me they gasped in shock. I must have looked like a mess, all done up. Alice smiled at her work and then bounded off to retrieve the oil and food coloring. We were going to put together the set of my theatrical production. Fun… not. It would at the very least be interesting. When she returned, she sat on the floor, motioning for me to join her.

She pulled out two large bowls and poured the kitchen oil into them. She then produced the bottles of green food coloring. Handing me one, she began to drip the green into the oil. When she and I had finished we stirred it to a perfect color. It definitely resembled mucus. Alice opened the fresh boxes of tissues and passed two to me.

We very carefully constructed what would seem like used tissues and put them in a large basin Alice had gotten from God knows where. Upon completing this, we distributed them to the house's many waste baskets and surrounded the bed I had purchased for Bella with them. The couch was also blessed with the gift of used tissues. After all was said and done, it really looked as if someone were ill.

Alice staged me on the couch under an afghan and lying on my side. She set a tissue box on the table beside me and a bowl on the floor near my head in case I needed to 'throw up.' This was all surprisingly simple, but it was, as I had expected, exceedingly time consuming. It was six thirty now, almost time to pick Bella up for school. I realized with a pang of anxiety that I would be cooped up in the house all day without Bella, and with… _that woman_. Alice suggested that I pretend to sleep, but I knew that I wouldn't be able to even pretend. The doorbell rang, signaling the arrival of Mrs. Hammond. This was surely going to be Hell.


End file.
